Home Office will no longer grant firearms licences without review of 'relevant medical information' after Plymouth mass shooting

The Home Office has announced an overhaul of firearm laws following the shooting in Plymouth in which five people – including a three-year-old – were killed, requiring individuals seeking a gun licence to undergo a medical review.

The UK government’s new gun laws, which come into effect today, introduce “a requirement for the applicant to provide relevant medical information on a detachable proforma contained in the application or registration form.” 

The restrictions allow law enforcement to examine certain medical elements, including mental health, neurological issues or substance abuse, when deciding if individuals are deemed fit enough to have a firearms licence. 

The changes come after 22-year-old Jake Davison killed his mother, another woman, two men and a three-year-old girl in a mass shooting in Plymouth on August 12, before turning the gun on himself. Davison’s attack lasted just 12 minutes.

Davison had his shotgun licence revoked before being returned a month before he went on his rampage. Police investigating the shooting found he had posted videos online referring to ‘incels,’ an abbreviation for ‘involuntary celibacy.’ The term has become a common phrase online among some men who fail to find a partner and develop hostility towards women. 

The Independent Office for Police Conduct has since issued two disciplinary notices to Devon and Cornwall Police officers over the decision to return Davison’s shotgun licence.

In October, Home Secretary Priti Patel claimed that “the UK has some of the toughest firearms laws in the world, but we must never become complacent about these high standards.” 

The new measures allow police to examine an applicant’s medical history, social media profiles, financial history or review reports to domestic violence and public protection units.

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